Rocky Mountain Altitude 750

[Cruz Addict]

Hey guys, ok so i have been bike shopping/ looking and need a little advise as i just cant seem to find much information locally apart from what the bike stores are telling me. i trust my LBS implicitly but need to do some checking as their opinion and advice may be slanted by the possible 40k bike sale.

so my questions are,

• i know Rocky Mountain have a decent enough name overseas but i haven't seen very many here in SA. what are you opinions of them as a brand and are the bikes decent compared to the likes of Scott, Santa Cruz, Giant etc.
  
• does anyone know what the local support on the bikes is like, i know there are agents and components i can pretty much get from any LBS and am sure my LBS will do a warranty claim etc against shimano/ SRAM etc etc locally in the event of failure, but what about the frame and support thereof?
  
• for the price of 40k what would the other options be, initially i looked at the 2014 Scott genius LT, 170mm travel seems a bit much but i ride 160 now and am fine so don't suppose its going to be that different, the Altitude is 150 rear so i may need to get used to that as well.
  
• i really like the ride 9 feature that allows you to change the geometry and suspension to your riding style in more ways than i could have ever imagined but it may be too much and its a feature i am sure i could live without, do you think for an average non professional, i fall off ***, rider its too much choice?
  
• i see they have moved away from bearings on the rear linkage to bushings, i am not an engineer but surely they are going to need more maintenance than a bearing due to friction on the bushing causing wear?
  

as i say just looking for some opinions and advice as for me 40k on a bike is more than i ever thought i would spend and its a hell of an investment( not from any other perspective than investing in my passion and enjoyment)

thanks.

[CAAD4]

Hot bike. Great pedigree. It just irritates me that they expect you to have gorilla length arms to reach your bottle under the frame.

[Cruz Addict]

Hot bike. Great pedigree. It just irritates me that they expect you to have gorilla length arms to reach your bottle under the frame.

lol CAAD perhaps they are trying to say that only gorillas need apply as its a bike for doing to stupid *** not multi-day stage races, nice that there are cage nuts should you want to use them though.